Fire Chapter 8: Legacy of the Fire Nation
by Wren Sharpbeak
Summary: The Gang is unexpectedly reunited with an old ‘friend’, and the bizarre circumstances surrounding the encounter throws suspicion on old and new allies alike.  But not all things are what they seem.
1. Ch 1 Custom

**Disclaimer: **the characters and places in the following work of fan-fiction are the intellectual property of Nickelodeon and, as such, they reserve the right to remove this story at their sole discretion.

_**This story is the **__**eighth**__** in a series, so please read **__**the other seven before continuing!**_

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* * *

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**Previously on Avatar**

**"**You're alive?" gasped Zhao as he turned and saw the prince looming above him on the wall.

**"**You tried to have me killed!" shouted Zuko furiously, launching an attack with a cry of anguish.

_"_Yes, I did," admitted Zhao venomously, "You're the Blue Spirit…and an enemy of the Fire Nation!

* * *

As Lee walked away, Jet's gaze fell on Mushi, sipping a steaming cup of tea that had only moments ago been cold. His eyes widened as he realized that the only way to have accomplished that was through fire bending. 

"Jet, relax!" Smellerbee pleaded later as they walked through the terminal, "So the old guy had some hot tea. Big deal.

"He heated it himself!" Jet snarled in reply, and then added menacingly, "Those guys are fire benders.

* * *

Jet stood in the doorway of the teashop, the startled patrons gaping in surprise at his outburst. 

"He's a fire bender!" Jet insisted, pointing angrily to Iroh.

"Drop your swords boy," soothed a nearby off-duty officer, "nice and easy."

"You'll have to defend yourself," spat Jet as he and Zuko fought in the street, "Then everyone will know. Go ahead; show them what you can do."

The fight was ended abruptly when the Dai Li arrived and took Jet away.

* * *

The door to the large cell opened, and a shadow filled the door frame. The Blue Spirit spun around quickly, readying both swords to attack. Iroh entered the room, closing the door behind him. 

"Uncle?" Zuko's muffled voice from behind the mask was punctuated with a quizzical turn of his head.

"So, the Blue Spirit," mused Iroh with mock puzzlement, "I wonder who could be behind that mask?"

* * *

Everyone stared in dismay at the fallen Freedom Fighter. He'd come back to his senses and broke off his attack against Aang only to be grievously wounded by Long Feng. 

"You guys go find Appa," instructed Smellerbee, "We'll take care of Jet."

"We're not going to leave you," replied Katara firmly.

"There's no time," said Longshot, and every turned to gape at him as they heard his voice for the very first time since they'd met him. "Just go. We'll take care of him. He's our leader."

"Don't worry Katara," reassured Jet, "I'll be fine."

* * *

Standing at the hidden opening on the shores of Lake Laogai, Zuko pulled out the Blue Spirit mask, regarding its demonic visage uncertainly as Iroh gently laid a hand on Zuko's shoulder. 

"Leave it behind," he suggested softly.

Hesitating for only a moment, the prince dropped the mask into the lake, and watched as the water slowly swallowed it into the darkness.

* * *

"So the old man wasn't just _any_ fire bender, but the Dragon of the West himself. And that means his nephew '_Lee_' is actually…." He growled and flung the paper aside. 

"They _helped_ get the King back on the throne," Smellerbee said pointedly. "They're on our side now."

"Oh yeah? Then why is he on trial?" he retorted.

"I don't know," she said in a small voice, "but it doesn't seem fair."

"Fair? What's not fair about a couple of fire benders finally getting what's coming to them?"

* * *

"Why can't you just accept the reality that not _everyone_ from the Fire Nation is a monster?" she seethed. 

"Because I KNOW BETTER!" he shouted back, full of rage.

"Those two fire benders aren't getting off so easy," he swore with murder gleaming in his eyes. "I'll make sure of that if it's the last thing I do."

**

* * *

**

**Fire: Chapter 8**

**Legacy of the Fire Nation**

Aang sat stiff and still, his legs crossed beneath him in a meditative pose as he focused on his breathing. The rising sun was still a far cry from cresting the treetops surrounding the camp, but he could feel its warmth in his lungs and coursing through his blood. It was an odd sensation: exhilarating and a little frightening at the same time. He was finally beginning to understand what it meant to be a fire bender.

But despite the tinge of fear, he was becoming anxious and disgruntled about not being allowed to meditate before a flame the way Zuko often did. He was fascinated at how the prince could control the rise and fall of the fire as he breathed, and desperately wanted to be able to do the same.

"So when do I get to try this with a fire?" he ventured hopefully to his companion.

"When I'm sure you won't burn the whole campsite to the ground," replied Zuko calmly from his meditative position alongside the young Avatar. He did not even bother to open his eyes.

"But if I never get to try, then how else will you know I won't?" Aang countered with exasperated logic.

"Because you'll get through an hour of meditation without _talking_," Zuko returned pointedly, this time cracking his eyes just enough to give the boy a sidelong glare.

Aang dropped his shoulders down sheepishly, preparing himself for a lecture about the importance of concentration and focus, but he was rescued by the timely arrival of someone coming from the nearby campsite.

"Hey guys!" called Sokka brightly as pushed through the brush and sat down next to Aang, "how's the meditation…thing…going?"

"Or being _interrupted_," growled Zuko under his breath.

"Wow, you're up early," remarked Aang, oblivious to his teacher's ire as the air bender completely abandoned his meditating.

"Yeah, you can thank Momo for that," answered the warrior glumly. He sighed briefly before adding, "And I was having such a nice dream too."

"Must've been _really_ good," chimed in Toph as she too came through the bushes to join them, "considering you tried to _kiss_ Momo. That poor lemur's gonna be traumatized for life now," she added as she plopped down next to Zuko.

"For your information I did _not_ try to _kiss_ Momo," Sokka defended indignantly. "I was-"

"Don't wanna know!" Toph exclaimed hurriedly, holding up a hand for emphasis.

"Anyway," continued Sokka dismissively, "Katara's almost finished making breakfast so-"

"There you all are!" called Iroh, as he stepped into the tiny glade. Then turning to look over his shoulder, he hollered toward the camp, "They're over here!"

"Well tell them the food is ready," Katara's faint reply drifted back.

"Why don't we just squeeze everyone into the clearing and eat it here," Zuko muttered sardonically.

"Splendid idea!" agreed Iroh blithely before calling back once more to Katara, "bring it up here, there's a lovely view."

Zuko dropped his head into his hand, wondering how long it would take him to learn that sarcasm was completely lost on his uncle. Meanwhile, Toph scooted over a bit to make room for the old fire bender to sit down beside her as Katara entered the now crowded clearing with a pot of food and a stack of bowls.

"Well, isn't this cozy," she remarked dryly, settling in between Aang and Sokka. "Has three days of walking made everyone miss being crammed into Appa's saddle or something?"

"Yeah, about the whole walking thing," Toph interjected, "any chance we can take a day off from that? I haven't spotted a single hint of Azula or any other Fire Nation troops since we left the mountains. I think it's probably safe to fly again."

The whole group stared at the blind earth bender in shock. Toph usually hated flying, and here _she_ was the one suggesting they take to the air again. Sokka looked at her quizzically as he voiced what all of them were thinking.

"I figured you'd _like_ all this walking."

"It's not the walking I mind," she said, taking a sip from her bowl before explaining moodily, "But it's really nerve wracking to constantly check and double check every little vibration in the earth for signs of trouble. I'm telling you, we're safe now."

"Well," offered Katara thoughtfully, "you're certainly more reliable than Sokka's instincts..."

She turned a meaningful smirk toward the warrior, getting a doleful glare in return, while Aang snickered behind his bowl before adding his thoughts.

"Katara's right," he agreed, trying to be serious, "If Toph says we're in the clear, then there's no reason to not to fly."

"But we should still find a market or something to re-supply at before we leave," Katara stated pragmatically. "We're getting low on food."

Almost by habit, the group turned to regard Toph expectantly. They'd been following her lead for three days now, trusting in her ability to guide them away from any danger with her unique abilities.

Sensing their gazes upon her, the blind girl let out a small huff of irritation before pointing in the direction where the ground resonated with activity and answering their unspoken question with resignation.

"Village is that way."

* * *

The gang broke off into two groups once they reached the market. Aang, Toph, and Iroh went to get tea supplies, while Katara, Sokka, and Zuko bought food. 

"I think that's more than enough fruit and vegetables, Katara," complained Sokka as his sister piled two more small baskets of food into his already loaded arms, "why don't we get some _meat_ now?"

Katara rolled her eyes in exasperation. He'd been whining for meat since they started shopping, and it was grating on her nerves.

Zuko let out a short sigh as well, seeing the beginnings of yet another argument between the pair. Tuning their bickering out completely, he leaned against the booth and crossed his arms as he allowed his eyes to roam the across the market square, his mind wandering off as well.

As much as he hated being stuck on a ship for three years, times like this made him miss the solitude of his own room. At least he never had to listen to his crew complain (which he was certain they did), and he could get some peace and quiet practically whenever he wanted it. But traveling with the Avatar left him no privacy whatsoever, and while he was learning to appreciate the camaraderie, sometimes he just wanted to be alone.

The sound of his name brought Zuko's attention back to his companions.

"What about him?" Sokka was saying, "I'm not the only person who wants meat. Isn't that right, Zuko?"

"Don't drag him into this," Katara snapped before the prince could deny or confirm Sokka's declaration. "I'm telling _you_ that if you want something else to eat…"

Zuko ignored the rest as he went back to his own thoughts, continuing to gaze idly around at the scenery. From time to time, he'd spot some interesting object from one of the nearby shops and wonder if he should buy it; a five-string pipa his uncle would probably love to have, perhaps a book to pass the time on what was bound to be a long journey to the Fire Nation, a nice pair of twin dao in much better condition than his own set.

He was seriously considering the swords, wondering if he should go find out how much they cost when a barrow cart pulled in front of him and stopped, blocking his view of the weapons across the street. Initially perturbed to have his contemplations interrupted, his breath suddenly hitched in his throat when his eyes fell on the familiar blue mask staring at him from the side of the wagon.

As if possessed by a will of their own, his feet carried him the short distance to the cart, and he had pulled the mask down from its peg before his brain even registered what he was doing. He ran a thumb musingly over the painted surface.

"Three coppers and it's yers," said the merchant, startling Zuko into tearing his eyes from the hollow, mesmerizing gaze of the lifeless Blue Spirit.

"What?" he asked blankly.

"That mask yer' fancyin'" the man explained with a nod toward object in Zuko's hand. "I'll let ya have it for three coppers."

"I…I was just looking," Zuko replied faintly and handed the mask back to the man.

"Suit yerself," he shrugged, "But I'll be parked here the rest of the day if ya change yer mind."

The prince only nodded vaguely, his mind whirling with thoughts and memories he couldn't grasp long enough to comprehend properly.

"There you are!" exclaimed Katara coming up alongside him with her overburdened brother in tow. "We're going to go get Sokka some meat now," she added with irritated resignation, "you coming?"

"Yeah," he replied distantly, taking one last glance at the merchant putting the mask back on the cart. "Let's go."

* * *

A short while later, the mask was removed from its peg once more, and this time, three copper pieces were given to the barrow merchant. The man only shook his head at the strange young man who walked away with it, wondering why that mask had been so hard to sell in the first place. But he didn't complain; at least it got sold this time. 

The last one he'd had was stolen.


	2. Ch 2 Culture

The trip to town had taken slightly longer than everyone expected, and it was agreed by all that since they'd be flying the rest of the way to the coast, they could afford to spend one more night in the forest and leave the next day. Most of the supplies had already been stowed away, and Katara and Zuko were both sitting in the large saddle resting on the ground at the far end of the camp, back to back as they rummaged through their respective bags. Meanwhile, Momo sat between them, glancing from one to the other with curiosity.

A small cloud of dust spewed from the saddlebag the water bender shared with Toph, eliciting a fit of coughing followed by a series of sneezes. Frantically waving the drifting powder away with a gag, Katara frowned down into the satchel.

"Why must everything I own be covered in a layer of dirt?" she asked no one in particular as she shook out a garment.

She turned her head and held her breath against the onslaught of finely crushed soil that billowed out from it, causing the lemur to dart over to other side of the saddle, away from the drifting grime.

"This entire bag smells like week-old tea," grumbled Zuko as he held a tunic to his nose briefly before thrusting it aside with a grimace.

Momo picked it up and licked it experimentally before dropping it in distaste as he went to investigate Katara's progress once more.

"You'd think a girl raised in a noble family would be neater," Katara muttered under her breath, disgustedly dropping a rumpled blouse over her shoulder where it landed right on top of Momo.

"Every time I open this bag he's added more _junk_," the prince mumbled irritably, tossing aside a pile of colorful but useless scraps of fabric as he continued to rummage through the bag.

No sooner had Momo disentangled himself from the wadded shirt Katara had discarded, he was buried in a mound of brightly colored bits of cloth.

Two simultaneous sighs erupted from the saddle before the pair exclaimed in unison.

"And I can't find _anything_!"

At the sound of their mutual complaint, Zuko and Katara sat up abruptly and snapped their heads around to look over their shoulders at one another. Momo popped his head out of the clutter to stare up at them with an inquisitive chirrup while they blinked at each other in surprise.

Slowly, the two benders let their gazes fall to their own bags for a moment, before slyly turning back toward each other wearing identical grins of clever resolve, obviously sharing the same thought.

"I think I know how to solve this," Katara said to him with a triumphant smirk. Clearing her throat a bit, she stood up.

"Okay, it's time for a change in storage arrangements," she announced to the group in a businesslike fashion.

"What's wrong with the way it's set up now?" asked her brother from across the camp, slightly defensive since he'd originally been the one to determine which people shared each bag with whom.

"Nothing," she said soothingly. "Except that I'm tired of my few worldly possessions constantly being covered in 'a healthy coating of earth'," she explained, looking pointedly at Toph.

"And _I_ am tired of everything I own smelling like _tea_," Zuko added, with an equally meaningful glare at his uncle.

"So," continued Katara briskly, "if no one has any objections, I propose we change things around a bit."

"A little dirt never harmed anyone," Iroh said with an unconcerned shrug.

"I like the smell of tea," quipped Toph offhandedly.

"Good!" remarked Katara with satisfaction, "Because from now on, Toph, you'll be sharing a bag with Iroh, and Zuko and I will keep our stuff in this one." She tapped the saddlebag for emphasis.

Aang and Sokka looked at each other with bemused expressions. In all honesty, Sokka was proud of his sister for finally getting past her animosity toward Zuko, especially after how frigid she'd been just a little over a week ago. And Aang couldn't help but feel that the advice Toph had given him about letting the two work things out on their own was the best he could have gotten. Things were definitely looking up for their little group, but neither boy was about to voice his thoughts.

"Sounds reasonable enough to me," offered the Avatar with a smile as Momo landed on his shoulder. The lemur had decided it would be much safer there.

"Hey, if it makes you two neat freaks happy," Sokka added, "then knock yourselves out."

Any other time, Zuko and Katara might have taken offense at the warrior's comment, but at that moment, they couldn't care less. They were far too busy happily yanking things out of their current bags so they could begin putting their new one in order.

* * *

Two hours later, as twilight shadows gathered around the camp, Katara and Zuko smiled down into the neatly organized satchel, and then up at each other, both of them looking enormously pleased with themselves. Behind them, Aang and Toph stumbled into camp, exhausted after a sparring match with no clear winner. The two of them flopped wearily against Appa's side. 

"Well, Twinkle Toes," the girl said tiredly, "I have to admit you're getting better."

"Better?!" he cried incredulously, "I almost won this time!"

"Yeah, _almost_," she replied archly. "But a draw isn't a win, and I'm not considering you a master until you _beat_ me."

"Then I'll be the only Avatar in history who never masters earth bending," he grumbled morosely.

"Toph is only teasing you, Aang," Katara chided humorously as she sat beside him. "You should be proud of how well you're doing. After all, you're mastering all the elements at a much younger age than any Avatar before you."

"And at the same time, no less," added Iroh as he poured a cup of tea and then began looking around for something he apparently misplaced.

"Oh sure," drawled Toph good-naturedly, "Cheer him up, make him feel better…ya bunch of softies. But I suppose I have to give him _some_ credit," she acquiesced with a small groan, "I don't think I have ever been this tired after a match."

"Too tired for tea?" asked Iroh slyly as he continued to search the area for whatever it was he'd lost.

"Not too tired to drink it," she answered, raising a finger in protest for a moment before it flopped back down as she added, "but definitely too tired to go get it."

In a moment of sympathy for his exhausted friend, Sokka picked up the tea Iroh had just poured. He didn't even notice the old man opening his mouth with a look of slight dismay, holding up a hand as if wanting to stop the boy from taking the cup.

"Uh that's not-"

"Here, Toph," Sokka said kindly, oblivious to Iroh's attempt to get his attention. "Have some tea."

"Wow. Thanks, Sokka," she replied, taken aback somewhat by his uncharacteristic generosity. But as she took the cup from him, she frowned.

"Um…not to sound ungrateful or anything," the girl declined as she handed the drink back, "but, this isn't my cup."

"Huh?"

"That's not my cup," she repeated.

Sokka looked confoundedly at the teacup, then to Aang and Katara who were both giggling at this point, and then back to Toph. Behind him, he could hear Iroh chuckling as well.

"What do you mean it's not your cup?"

"That's not her cup," Zuko explained simply.

"It's a cup!" cried Sokka in exasperation, "The same as all the other cups!"

"No," returned the earth bender patiently, as if speaking to a small child, "my cup is _different_."

"Toph, _all_ the cups are different!" he yelled, beginning to lose his cool. "We don't have a matched set."

By now, Iroh, Aang, and Katara were clutching their sides to keep from laughing out loud, and even Zuko was holding a hand to his mouth to hide the grin on his face.

"Sokka, how can you be the only person here who doesn't know which cup is mine? I always drink from the same one."

"How can you even tell the difference?" he asked sharply, feeling certain this was another one of her 'blind' jokes and that everyone was in on it.

"It's heavier, and has a specific texture," she replied.

"So what am I supposed to do, pick up each cup and weigh it?" Sokka shot back sarcastically. "Or maybe I should rub them all?"

"Look, I don't know how the others know which one is mine," she went on tersely, "but apparently they do, because _they've_ never given me the wrong one."

"It's the yellow cup," offered Zuko with a hint of humor in his voice.

"Which I can't seem to find at the moment," added Iroh as he resumed he search.

At this, the others also began glancing around the camp, looking for the missing teacup. Zuko spotted it sitting on a log near the edge of the clearing.

"There it is," he said, and walked over to fetch it.

"What is it doing over there?" wondered Iroh aloud.

Picking it up, Zuko noticed a small bit of water in it, probably from being washed. He carelessly dumped the liquid into the woods before holding it out to his uncle to be filled, and then took the cup over to Toph.

"Thank you, Zuko," Toph said graciously before taking a leisurely sip. Hidden beneath her long bangs, her eyebrows knit together as the liquid rolled down her throat.

"Is this a new blend?" she asked Iroh.

"Yes it is," he replied happily, pleased she had noticed.

"I like it," the girl lied smoothly, deciding not to mention the odd aftertaste it had. It was one thing to give Sokka grief over giving her the wrong cup, but she wasn't about to criticize Iroh's tea.

Still pouting over the whole teacup issue, the water tribe warrior 'harrumphed' and sat down, muttering as he did so.

"It's just a cup."

* * *

The campfire had burned away to mere glowing embers and the moon was just high enough to filter down through the treetops. Soft snores could be heard from one or two of the stone-made tents, and Appa rumbled occasionally, huffing and snuffling in his sleep, lost in the throws of a pleasant dream. 

Not far from the camp, in the small clearing where the group had eaten breakfast, Zuko sat down and pulled the mask he'd purchased earlier from the folds of his tunic where it had been hidden. He had no idea why he'd gone back for it, and it was stupid to try and keep something like this around, running the risk it would be found by one of the others.

Not that he expected Katara to go rummaging through his half of the bag. She at least had some respect for his privacy, unlike his uncle who would have been sure to come across it sooner or later.

Staring into the lifeless blue countenance, memories of Ursa came unbidden to Zuko's mind. He recalled sitting spellbound at her feet, listening to the stories she used to tell him of a dashing masked hero who made up for his lack of fire bending skills by wielding swords.

They were nothing more than fanciful tales meant to sooth his despair after the endlessly disastrous fire bending lessons he had, but they had inspired him nonetheless. So much so that when he'd spotted a mask like this at the market in Bìmíng shortly after his banishment, he'd been compelled to purchase it…as well as a pair of twin dao.

But the things he did under the guise of the Blue Spirit where hardly the same honorable pursuits as his childhood idol. He didn't rescue damsels in distress or save villages from marauding pirates. His incarnation of the Blue Spirit was a thief and a traitor, not only to his country, but also to himself. And now, Zuko couldn't help but feel he'd somehow tainted his mother's stories by such behavior, no matter how necessary it seemed at the time.

The blue and white face leered up at him, its painted grimace mocking the prince for his foolishness.

He really shouldn't have bought it.

* * *

As the moon continued its trek across the night sky, no longer glimmering through the foliage, a pair of bottomless eyes set deep in a blue and white scowl peered down from a perch high above the camp. No one stirred, nor had any need to, for the thick wooden tree trunk obscured him from the sight of even Toph's peculiar form of sensory vision. 

With a soft rustle of fluttering leaves, the Blue Spirit disappeared into the night

* * *

. 


	3. Ch 3 Heritage

Aang sat still and calm, his hands resting lightly in the center of his folded lap. He had awakened before the sun rose, feeling restless and on edge, as though the blood in his veins simmered with latent fire. Iroh had said to expect this each morning as he embraced and became more comfortable with his fire bending abilities, and had told him that meditation would help him harness and focus that energy throughout the day.

But apparently, this connection that fire benders felt to the sun was something he'd eventually be able to ignore, for Iroh and Zuko were both sound asleep when he got up. He had decided to leave it that way, and now he sat alone in the clearing, taking in the coming dawn with each breath.

Eyes closed against the brilliant array of purple and gold sweeping across the sky, the Avatar remembered a time that, to him, was not so long ago.

* * *

"Aren't you done yet?" Aang asked his friend impatiently. 

"No," the slightly older boy answered calmly without opening his eyes.

The two sat in a lush garden lit by the pale orange glow of daybreak. Aang was quite visibly bored, his chin resting on one hand in a slumped posture that was the complete opposite of his companion's dignified meditative pose.

"Well how much longer do you have to do this?" persisted the air bender.

"Until the bell chimes," was the serene reply. Again, his eyes remained steadfastly closed.

Aang looked over at the small mechanical device, whirring and clicking nearby, and a devious grin lit up his face. Checking to make sure his friend was still intent on his meditation, Aang innocently flung a small stone through the air on a gust of wind, forcing a sharp clang from the metal bell.

"Time's up!" he stated brightly, breezing to his feet. This time, the other boy opened his eyes, and he shot Aang a knowing look.

"That doesn't count," he smirked.

"Oh, come on, Kuzon!" the air bender whined irritably, "You've been at this all morning! Gyatso says we may be leaving today, and I don't want to spend the rest of my time sitting here watching you _breathe_."

"Fire bending comes from the breath and-"

"And it requires focus and concentration, blah blah blah," Aang interrupted.

"Hey, just because _you've_ already mastered_ your_ element, doesn't mean the rest of us have it so easy," Kuzon retorted good-naturedly, before letting out a small sigh. "I still can't believe you already got your tattoos, and here I'm still learning my basics," he added glumly.

"Don't worry, Kuzon," Aang said with sudden compassion, "some day, you'll be one of the best fire benders around."

"You think so?"

"Of course!" he replied happily, then smiled mischievously, "but not without a proper breakfast."

At this, the faces of both boys broke into impish grins.

* * *

A short while later, they were literally flying out of the kitchen, the furious cook hurling pans and utensils after them as they made their escape on Aang's glider with a basket of freshly baked fruit dumplings for their prize. 

"And _stay_ out of my kitchen!" the woman shrieked.

Laughing as they sailed over the courtyard, the two boys landed behind a copse of shrubbery to enjoy the ill-gotten snack. But no sooner had they started shoving the gooey pastries into their mouths, a pair of hands descended upon them from behind, eliciting a terrified yelp from both boys.

"Ah, there you are!" said the old man gently as two startled and guilty looking faces stared up at him.

"Monk Gyatso," Kuzon sighed in relief, "how'd you know we were here?"

"I followed my nose," he replied amusedly, deftly taking a dumpling from the basket and biting into it.

Aang and Kuzon grinned as they went for seconds, and Gyatso sat down with them to enjoy his pastry. Once they were finished eating, the two boys leaned back on their hands with a satisfied sigh and Gyatso brushed the crumbs from his robes as he stood up.

"Come, Aang," he smiled, "it's time for us to be leaving now."

"So soon?" complained the young fire bender, as he and Aang also got to their feet.

"I'm afraid so," replied the old monk kindly, "we only came for the Solstice Festival."

"But you'll be back for my birthday, right?" Kuzon turned and asked his friend optimistically.

"You bet!" answered the air bender with a huge grin. Kuzon laid a hand companionably on Aang's shoulder.

"Then I'll see you in the fall," he stated in lieu of a farewell.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

As the small fleet of bison took to the sky, Aang leaned out over the back of saddle, waving to his friend as he disappeared from sight, secure in his promise to return in four months for Kuzon's fifteenth birthday.

But a few days after arriving at the Southern Air Temple, the monks informed Aang he was the Avatar. And less than two weeks later, he ran away, to be caught in a storm and then frozen in an iceberg for a hundred years.

He never saw Kuzon again.

* * *

A rustling in the clearing shook Aang from his thoughts, and he opened his eyes only enough to determine who was there. He was surprised to note that the sky had lightened considerably and absently he wondered how long he'd been meditating as Zuko sat down beside him. Neither of them said anything for several long moments, and Aang nearly jumped when the prince's soft voice broke the silence. 

"There's still time to get some fire bending practice in before the others wake up."

The Avatar stared at Zuko in shock. Ever since they'd left Omashu, his two teachers had insisted on meditation exercises only, forbidding him to do any real bending due to his lack of control over the element.

"Really?" gaped Aang. "You're going to let me do fire bending today?"

"Down by the stream," Zuko clarified firmly, and then with a wry grin added, "…just in case."

* * *

Iroh stood on the shallow ridge overlooking the stream and watched the scene below him. He smiled as Zuko demonstrated a correction to the kata Aang was learning, and instructed the boy to try it again, going through the exercise with him to reinforce the lesson. It amazed Iroh how much patience the prince displayed as a teacher considering how little he'd had when he was learning that same set. 

With a satisfied nod, the old fire bender left the two boys to their practice and went back to the camp to have some tea. Toph was just beginning to stir, so Iroh grabbed her cup from the pile, knowing she'd want some as well.

"Mmm, nothing like waking up to the smell of tea," she remarked contentedly.

"I'm just glad to have someone else around who enjoys it as much as I do," he replied happily, handing the cup to her as she sat down beside him. "Zuko doesn't have much taste for it. He's even worse than Lu Ten was," he said with a musing chuckle.

Toph smiled with him, but then her face became serious as she took a sip of her tea.

"What was he like?" she asked with soft timidity.

"Who?"

"Lu Ten."

A long, grave silence followed as Iroh reflected on the question. Toph was beginning to regret asking when he finally answered.

"He was everything a prince of the Fire Nation was expected to be," he replied sorrowfully. "Born and bred to the craft of war; a talented bender, and a brilliant military tactician. He was just like me...the way I used to be.

"I was not always the man you know," he continued somberly, "Lu Ten and I conquered countless towns in the name of the Fire Nation before setting our sights on Ba Sing Se. We were an unstoppable team. It never occurred to either of us that what we were doing was wrong. I only learned that lesson after I lost him."

"I'm sorry," Toph apologized quietly, "I shouldn't have asked."

"No," answered Iroh with calm conviction. "It is only right that I tell you these things, even if it changes your opinion of me," he added remorsefully.

"It doesn't," she replied matter-of-factly. "If anything, it just makes me appreciate who you are now…even more than I did already."

"That makes two of us," Sokka chimed in candidly from the other side of the fire where'd he'd been listening.

"Three," added Katara compassionately.

Iroh blinked in surprise as he looked around at the trio. Each of them was smiling at him with reassuring acceptance, and he couldn't help but respond in kind. And when Momo flew over and landed on his shoulder with a purr, while Appa added a low, rumbling vote of his own, Iroh chuckled.

"I guess that's five then."

The others only laughed.

* * *

Aang stepped quickly through the series of moves, the bursts of flame coming from his fists carefully controlled and accurate. Watching from nearby, Zuko nodded approvingly. 

"_Much_ better."

The Avatar let out a short breath of relief and fatigue as he dropped from his stance and settled his chi. While executed perfectly, the concentration he'd been forced to maintain during the set had worn him out.

"And to think I used to give Kuzon a hard time about learning this stuff," he groaned tiredly, collapsing into a sitting position.

Deciding they could both use a break, Zuko walked over and sat down next to Aang, whose gaze was now distant with memories.

"Kuzon," murmured the prince thoughtfully, the name sounding familiar. Then he remembered, "Your friend from the Fire Nation?"

"Yeah," Aang answered with a soft nod.

From what the prince remembered of the brief exchange, Kuzon lived a hundred years ago, and Zuko found himself wondering just how different things might have been back then. At last, curiosity got the better of him, and he cast an inquisitive glance in the other boy's direction.

"What was he like?"

"In a strange way, you remind me of him," answered Aang thoughtfully. Seeing Zuko's puzzled expression, Aang continued.

"He was a couple of years older than me, _very_ serious about his fire bending," he said with a meaningful grin at Zuko, before continuing with a far-off smile, "and when we got into trouble he was always the one to step forward and take the blame," he turned to the prince with an expression almost of wonder, "even when it wasn't his fault." Looking back out at the stream, he added softly, "His honor was so important to him."

Zuko frowned at the comparison, unable to shake the thought that it was his desire to regain his honor that led him to hunt down a child, this same boy who sat beside him, across the entire world. Catching the haunted look on the prince's face, Aang cocked his head to one side with concern.

"What?"

The scowl deepened for a moment before Zuko turned to regard Aang thoughtfully, his expression unreadable. He shook his head slightly, trying to clear the uncomfortable thoughts.

"It's nothing," he said, looking away.

Even though Aang knew better than to believe that, he decided not to press the issue, and was almost glad for the interruption of a pair of footfalls behind them.

"Why does it not surprise me that you're sitting around shooting the breeze," Toph remarked dryly. "On your feet, Twinkle Toes, before Zuko lets you go soft."

The two boys couldn't help but grin at each other as they got to their feet and Zuko started heading back to camp.

"Not going to stay and watch?" the girl asked lightly. Zuko turned and shot a small smirk over his shoulder.

"I think I'm a little old to be playing in the dirt," he teased.

Toph's only response was to blow a raspberry at his retreating back before launching her sparring attack on Aang.

* * *

From the camp, the group could hear the earth-bending match going on at the nearby stream while breakfast was being prepared. Finishing up the meal, Katara looked over in that direction. 

"So who wants to break those two up and tell them to come eat?" she asked, just as the all the rumbling stopped.

"Sounds like they may be done actually," Sokka answered.

"Good timing," replied his sister as she started spooning rice into the bowls.

But a shout from the creek caused everyone to pause for a moment, glancing at one another with puzzled expressions before looking toward the source of the noise. No sooner had they turned their attention that way, Aang came stumbling into the camp with one of Toph's arms draped over his shoulders, her feet dragging limply along the ground.

"What happened?!" asked Zuko, springing to his feet and hurrying over to help.

"I don't know," answered Aang as the prince took Toph's other arm and helped carry her over to Appa's side where they laid her down.

"Did you accidentally hit her with a rock or something?" inquired Sokka with concern as he came over to stand next to them.

Katara pushed past her brother and knelt down next to the unconscious earth bender, pulling out a stream of water from her pouch as she did so.

"I don't know what happened," Aang insisted with a tone of worry and panic, "she told me stop for a second, and then she just…collapsed."

With water-encased hands glowing over Toph, Katara frowned in confusion as the others hovered anxiously behind her. Drawing the liquid back into her pouch, she got to her feet and shook her head.

"I can't tell what's wrong," she said fretfully, "if I didn't know better I'd say her chi is blocked, but I can't find out what's causing it."

The group was so focused on their friend, that none of them heard the footsteps entering the camp until the person who walked in spoke.

"Did I find you all at a bad time?"

They spun around quickly, already dropping into attack stances as they formed a protective barrier around Toph. But time slowed to a standstill as they all stared in shock at the intruder. For several long heartbeats, no one moved or said a word. Then Katara gasped.

"Jet!"

* * *

_commercial break_

**Author's note:** I just to thank everyone once again for all your encouragement and support, and to apologize for putting you guys through the rigors of my self-doubt. I really don't deserve such dedicated fans, but I'm definitely not complaining!

OH! And please be sure to go back and re-read chapter 2...it has some minor changes from the original...


	4. Ch 4 History

**Author's note:** Several readers have recently asked questions about shipping, which I really don't want to answer at this time. My original ideas about relationships in this story have shifted slightly, and I'd rather not give anything away.

So for anyone wondering if this series will be a 'Zutara', a 'Katang', or a whatever-else-there-is, all I can say is…you'll just have to keep reading and find out. (sorry!)

And now…back to the 'show'.

* * *

"Jet!" gasped Katara, "you're alive!" 

An instant later, she had her arms around him in a hug, as if to reassure herself that it was no hallucination. Aang and Sokka were still gaping in disbelief, while Iroh and Zuko exchanged uneasy glances.

Zuko looked back to the 'newcomer', somewhat disturbed by the fact that Aang and the others apparently knew Jet quite well, and the two teenage boys locked eyes for the briefest of moments. It was just long enough to establish a mutual distrust before Jet broke off the silent exchange with an almost triumphant smirk as he returned Katara's embrace.

"I told you'd I'd be fine," Jet said lightly as the two stepped away from each other.

"I guess you really are tougher than you look," remarked Sokka affably as he clasped Jet's forearm in a warrior's handshake.

"It's good to see you again, Jet," added Aang earnestly.

"How did you find us?" asked Katara.

"Dumb luck, actually," he replied with a shrug. "I heard a commotion as I was passing by. I came to check it out and found you guys." Jet looked around at the three with a warm smile before turning his gaze toward Iroh and Zuko as if noticing them for the first time.

"It looks like the rumors that you added a couple more to your group were true," he remarked offhandedly to Aang before fixing a pointed stare on Zuko. "So how's it going…_Lee_?"

"Hello, Jet," Zuko answered coldly, crossing his arms imposingly.

Aang and the others glanced from one teen to the other in shock, which quickly turned to apprehension as they noticed the obvious friction between them.

"Wait…you guys _know _each other?" asked Sokka.

"Yeah," drawled the former Freedom Fighter in a casual tone that belied the hostility rippling through the air, "it's an interesting story actually-"

"That we don't have time for," interrupted Zuko, flicking his gaze meaningfully to the still unconscious earth bender as he uncrossed his arms.

Suddenly reminded of the serious problem at hand, all eyes fell on Toph, and Jet's brow furrowed in concern.

"What happened to Toph?" he asked worriedly, stepping forward to kneel down next to her, checking her over for wounds.

"I wish we knew," Katara replied, coming up behind him. "She just…fainted; right before you arrived."

A moment later Jet stood back up, his face grim as he held out a small, red and black dart; tiny enough to have easily gone unnoticed during the initial confusion when she'd been brought into camp.

"Fire Nation dart," he announced chillingly, allowing Iroh to take it from him, the older man examining it carefully as Jet added, "Poisoned, no doubt."

"Posion?" gasped Katara, "but…why Toph? Aang was right there."

"For all we know," reasoned Sokka, "they could have been aiming for Aang, and ran off when they hit her by mistake."

"No one trained to use that would have missed," observed Zuko ominously.

"He's right," agreed Jet straightforwardly, "it's more likely they're just using Toph as a distraction while they marshal an attack."

"But Toph would have sensed anyone coming," Sokka argued.

"She may have, actually," said Aang, remembering the events leading up to her collapse. "Right before she went down, Toph told me to stop...and she looked like she was trying to 'see' something."

"Then you guys should get out of here," Jet advised, "before they come back in force. There's an abandoned temple to the south, near the hills. It would be a good place to lay low until they give up and leave the area."

"What about Toph?" Aang asked anxiously. "She still needs help."

Jet let out a short whistle before answering.

"I'll take care of Toph," he offered, as an ostrich-horse broke through the underbrush and walked into the camp. "I stopped at a healer yesterday; it's not far from here."

"You went to a healer?" interjected Katara with a note of concern.

"Yeah," Jet replied sheepishly as he rubbed his ribs, "I've become acquainted with just about every infirmary, herbalist, and healer between here and Ba Sing Se."

"Oh," she responded, hanging her head contritely, "of course."

"Anyway," he continued, coaxing his mount into a sitting position near Toph, "I'm sure someone there will know what to do for her."

Aang, Katara, and Iroh began breaking down the camp and loading things up into Appa's saddle, while Sokka helped ease Toph onto the ostrich-horse. Only Zuko made no move to do anything, instead watching Jet with a dark scowl.

"We'll meet you at the ruins as soon as we can," Jet said as he settled in behind his unresponsive charge and gently nudged his steed to its feet.

Zuko grabbed the beast by the bridle.

"One of us will go with you," he stated in a tone of voice that clearly indicated it was no suggestion.

At this, the others paused what they were doing to look at him in mild astonishment, and once again, the tension between the two young men was almost tangible.

"As much as I'd like the back-up," Jet replied indifferently, "there's only room for two, and someone on foot would just slow us down. Don't worry," he added, "I'll make sure nothing happens to her."

With that, Jet snapped the reins, yanking the bridle from Zuko's grasp, and then spurred the animal forward. The prince continued to frown as they rode away, and Iroh came up behind him, gently laying a hand on his nephew's shoulder while the other three purposefully busied themselves with their tasks.

"I'm sure she will be fine," Iroh said reassuringly, earning him an uncertain and worried backward glance from Zuko. "If the others trust him, then so should we."

Zuko's scowl deepened at his last statement, and he pulled away sharply, bending down to pick up Toph's teacup.

"Trust him if you want," he said coldly, "but I don't intend to."

* * *

The flight to the ruins was tense and silent. Aang's concentration was focused on guiding Appa through the dense forest, having decided that they should stay off the ground to avoid leaving a trail, but fly below the treetops so they would not be spotted. Sokka ate his breakfast in the saddle, while Katara fretted about Toph and Jet. Iroh watched Zuko anxiously as the young prince brooded angrily the entire trip. 

As soon as they landed, Zuko jumped down from the saddle to scout the area in Toph's absence, and Sokka waited until he was sure the prince was out of earshot before turning to Iroh.

"Okay, so exactly how do you guys know Jet?" he finally asked. Iroh sighed as he unpacked his teapot and began his tale.

"We met him on the ferry to Ba Sing Se…"

* * *

Late afternoon had begun to give way to twilight and Iroh had long since finished telling the others about their encounters with Jet, but Zuko still had not returned. At last, he walked into the camp, his countenance foreboding. 

"There you are," said Iroh with a sense of relief. "We were beginning to worry."

"There's no water here," Zuko announced grimly. "The stream is dry and the well looks to have been filled in ages ago."

"We still have several canteens on Appa," Katara responded reassuringly, "plenty to cook with."

"Dinner isn't the problem," he retorted with a meaningful look at the water pouch she carried. "If we're attacked, that's all you have."

Katara blinked in surprise, uncertain if she should feel touched or annoyed by what seemed to be a valid concern for her ability to defend herself. Truthfully, she was so accustomed to using what she had on hand that it never even occurred to her to seek out larger sources of water in order to gain an advantage. But obviously, Zuko _had_ and for some reason, that realization left her with a strange sense of awe.

"I'm sure we'll be fine," Aang stated optimistically. "Jet seemed to think this was a good place to hide. No one is likely to find us."

"Just the same," countered Zuko, "we should look for a better place."

"Except that Jet will be bringing Toph _here_," argued Katara.

"If he even brings her back," muttered Zuko under his breath.

As if in answer to his fears, Jet suddenly startled them all when he rode into the temple courtyard where they were camped and dismounted. He was alone.

"Where's Toph?" demanded the prince in a low accusatory growl, moving toward the other teen menacingly.

Jet looked from Zuko's dangerous scowl to the worried faces of the others and held up a placating hand.

"She's fine," he soothed, "the healers say she should be better in a few days, and insisted she stay there. I thought it best to come back so you wouldn't worry."

"Well now that you're here, we should leave," Zuko stated bluntly.

"Leave? Why?" asked Jet in bewilderment.

"There's no water here," he answered pointedly.

"Really?" marveled Jet guilelessly, "there should have been a stream…"

"It ran dry," interjected Katara kindly, trying to diffuse what looked to be a confrontation brewing between the two boys. "And if we get attacked, the only water I have is my flask."

Jet turned a charming smile onto the water bender.

"I think you're pretty dangerous just with that," he said silkily. Katara blushed slightly at the praise and was about to stammer out a reply when Zuko interrupted.

"But she's a far more formidable opponent when she has more to work with."

At this, the other boy fixed a pair of steely, narrowed eyes on Zuko.

"I suppose you know that from first hand experience," he remarked flippantly, but there was a cold edge to his voice.

Furious, the prince strode forward, smoke curling from the tightly balled fists at his side. He looked ready to deck the teen, but Aang stepped between them.

"Come on, guys," he said calmingly, ignoring the icy glares shooting over his head. "We're all worried about Toph and it's been a long day. We can find a better camp tomorrow, but for now let's all just try to get along."

For one agonizingly long moment, neither of the young men said anything, and the others feared that a fight would break out despite Aang's intervention. But then, without a word, Zuko brushed past them both, stalking away toward the broken temple gates and the tension in the air slowly dissipated.

Everyone went awkwardly back to setting up camp for the night, but as Katara opened her bag to pull out a blanket, her eyes fell on Zuko's neatly packed gear next to hers. She glanced over toward the woods and spotted the prince perched on the remains of a damaged outer wall, his back to the camp as he kept vigilant watch for any sign of intruders.

Looking back to the bag, she let out a short sigh and started setting up his bedroll as well. But somehow, she had a feeling that he wouldn't be sleeping tonight.

* * *

Katara dropped from her stance with a frustrated sigh. She'd been trying for over an hour to pull up water from the dilapidated well, using the rising moon to augment her bending, all with no success. Wearily, she sat down on a nearby pile of rubble. 

"Still no luck?" asked Jet as he stepped from the shadows into the moonlit yard.

"No," she answered glumly. "I thought that once Aang cleared out the debris, I might be able to get _some_thing, but…there's not a drop of water to be found."

"I didn't realize you were so worried about it," he said apologetically as he took a seat beside her.

"I'm not…not really," Katara admitted, "but Zuko made a good point. I _can_ do more when I have more to work with."

"Maybe," he said with a shrug, "but I think he just doesn't give you enough credit." Then, looking at her with an almost sensual gaze, he added softly, "You're an amazing bender."

"Thanks," she replied, blushing slightly as she looked away.

As the color faded from her cheeks, Katara's expression grew pensive. Seeing it, Jet placed a hand over hers.

"What is it?"

"It's just…" Her voice was tight with restrained emotion, as she struggled to speak, the words obviously painful. "We thought you were dead," she whispered.

"For a while there, I thought I was too," Jet confessed. "But I couldn't let the last thing I told you be a lie."

He cupped her face in his hand, turning her face to him as he leaned in toward her. Her eyes widened when she realized what was about to happen, and she took in a short breath, holding it as his mouth came closer to hers.

"You're worth living for," he murmured, and he closed the distance between them.

But in the last instant before their lips met, a loud, chirping croon erupted from between them. Momo's face popped into view and they jerked apart, the moment shattered. They blinked in surprise as the little lemur looked inquisitively from one to the other. Katara let out the lungful of air she'd been harboring and abruptly got to her feet.

"I should…go take Zuko something to eat," she said with awkward briskness as she backed away. "He didn't join us for dinner."

Without another word, she hurried away, leaving Jet with a bewildered lemur on his lap. He looked at the creature with a petulant frown.

"Thanks a lot."

Momo merely purred in reply.

* * *


	5. Ch 5 Creed

**_IMPORTANT NOTE!_ **

Shortly after publishing this, I received a couple of confusing reviews, and going back to read over what was uploaded, I discovered the entire last scene was missing! So if you've already read the initial version of this update, then please scroll down to the end so you can view the final segment of the chapter, which was accidentally left out before. Sorry for any confusion!

* * *

The stairs leading up to the parapet of the outer wall were loose and unstable, and Katara had to pick her way carefully across the shifting stones: no easy task when one hand was occupied with a bowl of food. As she neared the top, one of the steps gave way beneath her, sliding out from under foot and forcing her to throw her free arm wide, gasping as she struggled to keep her balance. 

As her body arched out dangerously over the courtyard below, her flailing hand caught hold of another, and a strong arm reached around her waist, swiftly pulling her toward the safety of the wide rampart. She stood there for a moment in her rescuer's embrace, breathlessly listening as the clattering flagstone crashed to the forest floor far below.

"That could have been you," reprimanded Zuko disapprovingly as he released his grip on her and stepped away. Katara continued to stare in dismay into the darkness below.

"What are you doing up here?" he demanded crossly.

"I was…I just thought…you might be hungry and," she stammered, still trying to calm her wildly beating heart after nearly plunging to the ground. Wrenching her eyes from her near doom, she finally finished coherently. "I brought you some food."

She held up the bowl for him and his expression softened as he took it from her.

"Thanks," he murmured.

The two sat down along the battlement and Katara kept her eyes on the shadowy forest while Zuko ate his meal. He had skipped both breakfast and lunch that day, and though he'd never admit it, she knew he must be famished.

"You know," she remarked idly, "that's the third time you've kept me from falling."

Zuko frowned in concentration as took a bite of his food, chewing thoughtfully while he tried to recall what three incidents she meant. The near accident just now was obviously one, and there was the moment she'd fallen off of Appa, but he couldn't place a third…unless she was referring to…

He looked at her in surprise as he remembered the Shirshu; she'd begun to slip off the monster's back, and would have smashed to the cobblestones face first if he hadn't grabbed her by the tunic and held her in place. The fact that she had remembered the occurrence was only slightly less disconcerting than the idea she considered it an act of concern for her welfare, considering she'd been his captive at the time.

"It's just a reflex," he mumbled noncommittally, returning his attention to the bowl he held and poking his chopsticks rather forcefully into his food.

"In that case, I'm glad you have such good reflexes," she stated good-naturedly.

An awkward silence settled between them and, suddenly remembering the extra canteen draped across her shoulder, she pulled it off and offered it to him.

"Here."

He took it hesitantly, and she noticed he drank only the smallest amount before replacing the stopper and giving it back to her.

"You really don't trust him, do you?" she asked quietly as she set down the flask.

"Don't you find it the least bit suspicious that the only person capable of verifying anything Jet says was attacked and rendered unconscious just moments before he arrived?" he replied irritably. "Or that he sent us to a location that has no water for you and Aang to bend?"

"No, I don't," returned Katara in mild exasperation. "Jet is our _friend_, Zuko; he nearly died helping us in Ba Sing Se. How could he know the water here had dried up, or that Toph had been attacked?

"I know you dislike him," she continued more gently, "and I don't blame you after what he tried to do to you and Iroh. But people _change_, Zuko," she said earnestly, impulsively placing a hand on his arm before finishing quietly. "You, of all people, should be able to understand that."

The prince gave her a doubtful look before letting out a short sigh, bowing his head ashamedly at the truth of her words; perhaps he _was_ merely holding a senseless grudge. He kept his eyes cast downward as Katara got to her feet and made her way to the steps leading down.

"We gave you a second chance," Katara reminded him softly over her shoulder, "Maybe you should give him one too."

Left alone once more on the wall, Zuko stared out into the darkness, his mind a whirlwind of confusion and misgiving. His gaze fell to the canteen Katara had left behind and, setting the bowl of food aside, he picked up the water, staring at the container as if it held more than something meant merely to slake one's thirst.

At last, he uncorked the top and took a long, satisfying drink.

* * *

Laughter erupted from the campfire as Katara made her way back, Iroh having apparently just finished telling a joke of some sort, and she avoided returning Jet's steady gaze as he watched her sit down next to Iroh, as far from the young man as she could possibly get. 

"So what's with all this?" Jet asked Aang amicably as he reached over and ruffled the fine, dark growth of hair on the young Avatar's head.

Aang's hand went self-consciously to his scalp and he gave a sheepish chuckle.

"We thought it might be a good idea to grow it out," he admitted, "the tattoo is a little conspicuous."

"It does make you stand out in a crowd," Jet agreed.

"I just hope it grows fast," Sokka added, ruefully scratching at the lengthening hair on the sides of his own head.

"Now don't start up your whining about losing the 'warrior's wolf-tail'," teased Katara.

"Hey, your hair-loopies are the next to go, Sis," he shot back. Katara tugged the twin strands protectively.

"I know," she said peevishly. "But we're still weeks away from worrying about that, and you and Aang need that time to let your hair grow."

"So…you guys are going to the Fire Nation," stated Jet incredulously as he began to comprehend the reason for their new hairstyles.

"That's where the Fire Lord is," answered Aang somberly.

"And I take it you're their guides," Jet said to Iroh. The old fire bender merely nodded.

"But he and Zuko are also teaching me fire bending!" Aang interjected excitedly. "Check this out!"

And before anyone could stop him, he breezed to his feet, bounding a short distance away from the others where there was more room. Katara was about to protest, but Iroh held up a hand and stilled her before she spoke. Sokka, however, leaned towards Jet, who was closest to the area where Aang was about to give his demonstration.

"Um, you might want to move back a bit," he warned the other teen. But before Jet could act on the advice, Aang began his kata.

He stepped precisely through the stances, his face a mask of calm concentration. Only Zuko had seen him successfully perform this set, and the Avatar was determined to do his teacher justice. With carefully controlled force, he lit up the night with flaming hands and feet while the others watched in awe.

From his post high above, Zuko also observed the performance, mentally going through the kata with Aang and anxiously watching for common mistakes. And each time the boy carried on without making one, Zuko unconsciously nodded in silent encouragement.

When the series of kicks and punches were finished, Aang placed his fingertips together, palms down, and settled his chi with a serene bow of his head. He was a picture of sedate focus…until the moment he looked back up at his audience with a triumphant, cheesy grin plastered across his face.

Everyone cheered and praised him as he sat back down, the water tribe siblings demanding to know when he learned to do _that_. And on the parapet wall, the prince couldn't help but smirk proudly as Aang's exuberant answer drifted up through the darkness.

"Zuko taught it to me this morning…"

* * *

Distant thunder rumbled through the overcast dawn, and Katara tossed fitfully in her sleep. Disturbing memories flashed through her dreams: angry tears of betrayal as she froze Jet to a tree, desperately fighting off Zuko when he tried to take Aang from the Spirit Oasis, Jet lying on the cold floor under Lake Laogai, Aang's broken body falling through the catacombs after Azula's lightning attack. 

Next, she found herself on Appa, flying away from the Eastern Air temple under heavy fire. The saddle lurched and sent her backward over the side. But this time, there was no hand to grab hold of her at the last moment, and she plummeted into the void.

She bolted upright with a gasp.

Still disoriented from the troubling dreams and breathing deeply to try and calm herself down, she looked around the camp. Aang was curled up on Appa's side, Sokka was snoring blissfully in his bedroll, and Iroh snuffled occasionally as Momo's tail brushed the old man's nose, the lemur having made a comfortable bed out of Iroh's beard. The amusing sight went a long way in dispelling the horror of her nightmare.

But it wasn't until her eyes settled on Zuko, sound asleep on the pallet between her and Iroh, that she let herself smile. Apparently, he'd finally abandoned his watch to get some much-needed rest. It was the first sign of trust he'd shown since Jet's arrival, and she couldn't help but feel pleased that she may have had something to do with that.

Things were starting to look up, she thought to herself. They weren't attacked in the middle of the night, Toph was resting up at a healer, and Jet was…

Katara's brow furrowed as she silently rose to her feet. She saw the ostrich-horse still tethered nearby, but Jet was nowhere in sight. A rustle in the forest beyond the ruined wall caught her attention, and straining her eyes to see into the gloom, she thought she could make out a person moving among the trees.

Ignoring the ominous growl of thunder overhead, she picked up her water flask and headed into the woods.

* * *

"Sokka!" whispered Aang, shaking the water tribe warrior to rouse him. "Sokka, wake up!" 

The teen grumbled something incoherent and rolled over. Meanwhile, Zuko sat up groggily at the disturbance, rubbing his eyes.

"Sokka, come on," Aang pleaded again, "I can't find Katara, or Jet."

This got Zuko's full attention, but Sokka didn't seem phased at all.

"They probably just went somewhere private so they could smooch," he suggested with a yawn.

The other two boys glared at Sokka with identical scowls, neither of them seeming the least bit pleased at that possibility.

"They've been gone for over an hour," Aang stated tersely.

"_What_?" snapped Zuko, on his feet in an instant. Even Sokka finally opened his eyes in alarm.

"Okay, I'm up," Sokka stated worriedly, throwing off his covers and getting to his feet.

"What's going on?" asked Iroh drowsily.

"Jet and Katara are gone," Sokka informed him soberly.

"Perhaps they've gone to check on Toph?" offered Iroh.

"On foot?" interjected Zuko grimly, pointing at the still present ostrich-horse.

"Or they went for a walk," continued Iroh optimistically, waving a hand toward the sky, "to enjoy this…" His words faltered as he noticed the dreary, low-hanging clouds, "lovely…morning."

The old fire bender started getting to his feet as well. Sokka was already pulling on his boots, and Zuko was untying his twin dao from Appa's saddle and strapping the scabbard to his back. Sliding his boomerang into its sheath, the water tribe warrior turned to Aang and Iroh.

"You two stay here in case they come back," he instructed with natural ease, "and break down the camp so you can get out of here at the first sign of trouble."

Aang and Iroh nodded their assent and began packing up the gear.

"Okay, Zuko. Let's-" Sokka began, but when he noticed the prince already heading into the woods, he had to run to catch up, calling indignantly after him as he did so.

"Hey, wait for me!"

* * *

Katara stepped quietly through the woods, following the shadowy figure that darted between the trees far ahead. Several times, she began to call Jet's name, but the growing fear that it might not be him she was following stayed her tongue. So she traveled in silence, keeping her eyes and ears open and hoping nothing bad had happened to him. She plunged forward until she suddenly found herself nearing a wide clearing. 

Hearing low voices that she could not quite make out, she crept into the bushes to try and get a better look. But just as she drew near enough to see, the voices stopped and all she saw in the clearing were the retreating tails of three mongoose dragons.

Her eyes widened in terror and stifling a gasp, she backed away. Heart beating wildly in her chest, she turned to run back the way she had come, to warn Aang and the others, but collided with something solid that threw a hand over her mouth, stifling her impulse to scream. It was Jet.

She nearly collapsed against him in relief. Assured she wasn't going to give away their presence, he tentatively lifted his hand from her mouth.

"We have to get back and warn the others!" she whispered hastily. "Azu-"

"I know," he interrupted urgently, "Come with me."

Then taking her by the arm, he led her away; glancing back over his shoulder to ensure they weren't seen and followed.

**

* * *

Author's Note:** I realized about halfway through the last chapter of this story that I've yet to mention the fact that Aang and Sokka were growing out their hair. There was originally a conversation and decision among the group that was part of a deleted scene from 'The Solstice Festival' that I forgot to work back in. And since I have a tendency to let descriptive details to be imagined by the reader unless they are crucial to the plot or character development, well…it got left out. 

And of course, in light of recent spoilers it may appear that I've thrown this into the tale as a result of what has been revealed. I didn't. This really _is _something that has been planned for a long time, back when new hairstyles were merely a rumor.

I will say that the new looks I imagined for my story months ago are eerily similar to what has been shown for the third season (in fact, I _nailed_ Katara's new hairdo...go me!). And after seeing the San Diego Comic Con footage for Book 3, I find that many of the ideas I still have planned for the remainder of my fan-fic may indeed be seen in the actual show (War balloons! Oh yeah!).

So anyway, I just wanted to put that out there. Not that it really matters how close or how far I get to the actual season three storyline, but I didn't want people to think I started changing what I had planned from the beginning just because we now know more about what will really happen. Everything in this set of stories is my own idea, despite any minute similarities to the real thing. I'm not even going to _try_ and match Mike and Brian's vision.

They've got their story…and I've got mine.


	6. Ch 6 Bloodline

By the time Sokka caught up with Zuko, the prince was crouched down, examining a set of footprints in the soft earth.

"They both came through here," he remarked as the water tribe warrior knelt beside him to investigate the tracks as well.

"But it doesn't look like they left camp together," Sokka observed. Seeing the curious glance Zuko sent his way, he pointed to the overlapping prints and explained. "Her footprints would be next to his if they had."

"So then the question is," began Zuko with a small frown, "who was following who?"

The teens looked at each other thoughtfully for a moment, then back to the two sets of footprints in the mud. Neither was sure what the answer might be, but they both felt uncomfortable at the implications of either possibility.

"The trail leads this way," said Sokka as he stood up, pointing in the direction of the footprints.

Thunder rumbled in the sky overhead, the coming rain threatening to wash away the trail. The boys exchanged an uneasy look before hurrying off into the woods.

* * *

Katara didn't ask any questions as she followed alongside and a few steps behind Jet. Her mind was far too preoccupied with what she had glimpsed in the clearing. But as they neared the sheer rocky foothills, she suddenly stopped and glanced around the area. The abandoned temple was nowhere in sight. 

"Jet," she said uncertainly, turning to look back the way they had come. "Jet, I think we've come the wrong way. I don't see the-"

Her voice died in her throat as she turned back toward him, only to find he was no longer there.

"Jet?"

A rolling boom of thunder startled a gasp from her, and with a wary look at the sky she strove to quell the rising sense of irrational panic she felt. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Jet!" she called again, glancing frantically through the gloom of the dense trees behind her for any sign of him.

She spun at the snapping of a twig somewhere off to her right, and cautiously moved in that direction, loosening the cap on her water skin as she did so. Passing though a copse of saplings, Katara found herself staring into the dim opening of a cave.

* * *

"They apparently met-up here," Sokka remarked distractedly, picking his way carefully over the jumble of footprints before pointing to the two pairs leading away. "And they headed off that way together," he concluded. 

Sokka glanced back over his shoulder to say something else, but Zuko was no longer behind him.

"Zuko?" he called, standing up and looking around.

"Over here," the prince replied from a small clearing where he was studying the grass closely.

"What'd you find?" asked Sokka as he stepped through the bushes and entered the glade.

"Someone else was here," said Zuko worriedly.

"More like some_thing_," corrected Sokka as he noticed another, much larger set of footprints that definitely were not human. Zuko quickly came over to see what the other teen had discovered and when his eyes fell on the familiar shape of a mongoose-dragon's talon, he stiffened.

"This is bad, isn't it?" asked Sokka needlessly.

"Get back to camp," Zuko commanded curtly, getting to his feet and moving off in the direction of Jet and Katara's trail.

"But what about-"

"I'll find them!" snapped the prince, spinning around to face the warrior. "Just get Aang and Uncle Iroh out of here. We'll meet you on the other side of the village."

Despite his misgivings at the prospect of splitting up, Sokka merely nodded at Zuko's retreating back and started running to the ruins as fast as his feet could carry him.

* * *

Katara peered into the darkness as she took a cautious step forward. 

"Jet," she whispered anxiously. "Are you in there?"

Another peal of thunder clattered overhead, and in the flashes of lightning that accompanied it, Katara could just barely make out a prone form a short distance inside. Fearing the worst, she hurried into the cave.

"Jet!" she whispered urgently, kneeling down to turn him over into the wan light spilling in from the entrance behind her.

But when a decidedly feminine groan erupted from the person, and another flicker of lightning revealed an unexpected face, Katara gasped in disbelief.

"Toph?!"

Instinctively, Katara began checking over her young friend for signs of injury, desperately trying to rouse the girl as she did so. She was just about to call for Jet once more, seeking his aid, when she froze; her mind starting to piece together the awful reality of what was going on.

"No…" she whispered in horror.

Her body tensed in response to her impending danger, but before she could even reach for her water skin, a burst of pain in the back of her head sent her reeling into darkness.

* * *

Momo chattered lazily from Appa's head while Iroh and Aang packed up the camp. The saddle was already on the bison's back, and the two were busy stowing the rest of the gear into the satchels. Aang was sitting in the saddle, hunched over Zuko and Katara's bag and trying to get the water bender's blanket to fit. He was beginning to get very frustrated with the task. 

Apparently, they had a very specific way of fitting everything in there, and he had no idea how to duplicate their careful packing system. He yanked the blanket back out and reached irritably into the bag with the intention of squashing stuff down to make more room, when his hand scraped against a hard object tucked within the folds of one of Zuko's tunics.

Curious, he pulled back the fabric to reveal a familiar blue and white grimace. Memories flashed across his mind's eye of that bizarre night when the Blue Spirit liberated him from Zhao's clutches. What an adventure that had been! Terrifying and exhilarating all at once and utterly confusing in the end. He rubbed a finger thoughtfully over the mask, wondering if he should ever tell the others or merely keep it a secret.

"I think that's the last of it," Iroh's voice interrupted from behind him.

Aang hastily stuffed the mask back into the bag along with Katara's blanket before answering.

"All finished here," he declared cheerfully, straining to close the satchel and latch the buckles. Grunting as he finally got the bag shut he glanced over his shoulder and asked, "So now what?"

Iroh cast an uneasy glance at the darkening clouds as another groan of thunder rumbled above them.

"We find a place to stay dry..."

* * *

A tug on Katara's arms brought her groggily back to her senses. Her first thought was that she'd fallen asleep early, for when she opened her eyes there was only darkness. But when a staccato of illumination revealed Toph's peaked face lying close to hers, her recollection returned to her with the force of an iron hammer. 

She was lying on her stomach and her hands were being tied behind her back. Her feet were already bound. Immediately, she began to struggle, only to have a soft voice murmur in her ear, stilling her resistance despite the growing fear as she listened.

"Shhh," Jet whispered soothingly, "everything is going to be fine. I'm not going to let him hurt you."

"What are you talking about?" she choked out desperately, trying to pull away.

"I don't know how those two fire benders managed to fool Toph," he said through gritted teeth as he finished tying the knots on Katara's wrists, "Maybe the Dai Li brainwashed her. For that matter, they may have gotten to all of you, made you believe the prince was on your side," he mused aloud. Then turning her over onto her back, he gently stroked her cheek as he continued softly, "Or maybe you really are just too trusting for you own good.

"However they managed it," he went on grimly, double-checking the ropes on her feet, "I'm not going to let those monsters betray everyone."

"You can't be serious," she whispered with horrified incredulity.

But one look at his earnest face confirmed that Jet meant every word he said.

"What did you do to Toph?" she demanded, fighting the tears stinging at the back of her eyes.

"She'll be fine," he assured her, "It's just a sleeping drug I put in her teacup. By the time she wakes up, this will all be over. I promise."

"Jet, listen to me," she pleaded as he started getting to his feet, "I know it's hard to believe that someone like Zuko could be on our side, but he _is_. His own father wants him dead. He has no _reason_ to betray us."

But her words fell on deaf ears as Jet merely secured his weapons and headed for the cave opening.

"I'll be back as soon as it's safe," he said, and then he was gone.

"Jet!" Katara screamed one last time, releasing a pent-up sob.

With a bitter yell of anguished frustration, she thrashed against her bonds for a few moments before finally hanging her head in despair. Guilty tears coursed down her face; s_he_ was the one who had talked Zuko into trusting Jet. And now, it might cost the prince and his uncle their lives.

"What have I done?" she whispered forlornly.

But only the thunder answered as the rain began to fall.

* * *

Zuko sighed in annoyance as he studied the soggy ground. The steady rain bearing down on him was washing away the already tentative trail he'd been following. All he had to go on now was a general direction, and the hope that Jet and Katara hadn't turned from it. 

Standing up, he wondered for what had to be the hundredth time what on earth they were even doing out here. But the questions and possibilities only made him worry more, so he strove to brush them aside and stay focused on his task. He was so absorbed in these thoughts that he didn't notice the shadow lurking behind him in the woods until it spoke.

"Lose something?"

Zuko spun around; arms raised and ready to defend or attack if necessary. But he quickly dropped from his stance when Jet stepped into view.

"Jet," Zuko said with a tone of relief, then more urgently, "we need to get back to-"

He stopped short when he suddenly noticed the absence of the other person he'd been tracking. He glanced around the area apprehensively.

"Where's Katara?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

"She's safe."

"What do you mean, 'safe'?" demanded Zuko uncertainly, "where is she?"

"Where you can't touch her," replied Jet coldly.

"What?" Zuko blinked in surprise; now he was just plain confused.

Did Jet think he was…pursuing Katara? Was he jealous and that was what all this was about? Nothing else really came to mind, and had the situation not been so dire, the prince might have felt inclined to laugh at the absurdity of the idea.

"You can drop the act," spat Jet, "I know all about your plans."

If Zuko was confused before, this statement left him completely bewildered.

"What plans?" asked the prince irritably. Jet's behavior was becoming tiresome and Zuko was losing what little patience he had. "What are you _talking_ about?"

"I have to admit, you're pretty clever," remarked Jet almost casually, "pretending to be on their side, even teaching Aang how to fire bend. You can lead them right up to the Fire Lord's throne and then hand them over."

Zuko stared at Jet, thoroughly appalled.

"You're out of your mind," he whispered in shock.

"And you're out of time," returned Jet caustically. Pulling free his hook swords with a yell, he rushed forward to attack.

* * *

Another bang of thunder shook the tiny building Appa was sheltered in; it looked to have once been a stable. Across the courtyard, Iroh and Aang had sought shelter in the ruined temple and the two were standing before a small fire, Aang in his horse stance and listening intently to his teacher. 

"Now, try it again," instructed Iroh calmly, "and this time, do not give the flame any of your own fuel once you've removed it from the wood."

Aang nodded and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before moving his arms apart while sucking in a second lungful of air and drawing the fire toward himself. The flames were now dancing above his upturned fists, but he kept his face stoic with concentration.

"The flame is under your command," the old fire bender encouraged sternly, "now extinguish it."

Opening his palms and letting out his breath, the flames evaporated. Aang's eyes were wide with astonishment.

"I did it!"

"Yes, you did!" agreed Iroh with an indulgent chuckle. He sent a spurt of flame toward the pile of smoldering wood, re-igniting it. "Now do it again."

A bright smile lit up Aang's face as he prepared to repeat the exercise, but a wildly flying lemur interrupted him as Momo landed on Aang's shoulder, chirping animatedly. Obviously, he wanted to get his master's attention, and the Avatar grinned hopefully at what Momo might be trying to convey.

"Are the finally back?" he asked, hurrying over to the enormous hole in one side of the room.

But as his head popped up over the rubble, he shrieked in alarm.

A torrent of blue flames was hurtling right for him.

_

* * *

_

_Commercial Break_

**Author's note:** And now the moment you've all been waiting for…more great stories I've found for you to read! (you can find them in my Favorites list along with several other highly recommended stories).

**Ozai's Vengeance** by **Fandomme - **Anyone who has been enjoying MacFie's "Parts of a Whole" should definitely check this story out; it has a lot of the same qualities. It's a post war Zuko/Katara romance with a heartbreakingly beautiful prologue and a wonderfully engaging storyline full of entertaining interactions between the characters.

**Brothers in Arms** by **fuzzytomato - **For those wanting more Sokka/Zuko bonding, definitely check this out and keep it on alert. Set right after season 2, this promising story looks like it's going to be full of action, drama, and exceptional bits of humor.

**The Road Less Travelled** by **Nandireya** - This amazing story follows the dangerous, bizzare, and often insightful path of Zuko's redemption. A must-read for all Zuko fans!

**ALSO!**

**Over on the DistantHorizon Forums** (Creations/Fan Fiction), the voting for best overall Avatar Fan-Fiction Writer still appears to be open. I personally nominated almost half the writers on that list (_MacFie, Vicki So, DamageCtrl, magnusrae, AJ Rayne, and Rasputin Zero_) but almost NO one has cast any votes. So _please_ head over to

distanthorizons. proboards31. com/ index.cgi?board fic&action display&thread 1184293483 (remove all spaces in the URL)

and let these writers know who you think is the best!


	7. Ch 7 Epoch

**Author's Note:** I have to admit I am a little disappointed that apparently no one went over to Distant Horizons and added a vote to the Best Fan-Fiction Author poll. I was really hoping some of you would check out the amazing authors who've been nominated (most of them by me) and put in your two cents. Ah well…I tried.

Anyway, I'm sorry to say that this update is going to have to hold everyone over until the end of next week because I'm leaving on a business trip tonight and won't be back until Wednesday.

So read, enjoy, (_review!_) and maybe take a moment to read some of the recommended stories in my favorites (or by the authors who've been nominated on the Distant Horizon Fan-Fiction forums…hint hint!) to get you by until I can post the last chapter.

And now…back to the 'show'!

* * *

Aang had less than a heartbeat to defend himself against Azula's attack, and it took only half that time to raise a barrier of earth to block the searing blast of flames. The force of the impact shook the stones, and Aang gritted his teeth as he struggled to hold the impromptu wall in place with his bending. 

A whistling in the air was the only warning Iroh had of the daggers flying toward him from the ruined doorway, the sole way out of the room now that Aang had sealed the gaping hole in the side of the building. The old man dodged all but one of the blades, the last of which imbedded itself in the sleeve of his robe, pinning him to the opposite wall.

As Mai reached for another knife, Iroh ripped the sash from his waist with his free hand. In one fluid move, he pulled his arm from the captured sleeve and followed through with a roundhouse spin that left the robe dangling from the dagger. He finished the turn by releasing a powerful jet of flames toward Mai, the sudden attack forcing her to delay her throw as she jumped out of the path of the fire.

Meanwhile, Aang was grunting under the strain of keeping the wall together as it fractured under the barrage of Azula's assault. But try as he might, it eventually gave way with a deafening roar and an explosion of rocky debris, throwing the young Avatar across the room where he landed with a thud.

He barely had a chance to recover from the blow when a whirlwind of jabbing fingers came darting his way. Blocking two with speedy reflexes, he evaded the third, and Ty Lee's hand collided with the stone floor instead. Aang made his getaway while she danced and hopped around in pain, cradling her injured fingers and uttering a litany of 'oohs' and 'ows'.

No sooner had he gotten away from one threat, however, another was bearing down on him as Azula hurled yet another azure blast in his direction. Leaping aside on a gust of air, he only barely avoided the blaze, and when he landed next to Iroh, the two took stock of their situation. It didn't look promising.

They were now backed into a corner, and both exits from the room were blocked.

* * *

It didn't take long for Katara to push aside her guilt and start focusing on a way to get out of her predicament. But she was starting to lose hope that she would find a way to free herself in time to warn Zuko and his uncle. And then of course there was the problem with Toph. 

The blind earth bender was still unconscious, and despite the small groan she'd let out earlier when Katara found her, she didn't seem to be waking any time soon. As the water bender struggled against her binds, she fervently wished she'd had Sokka's knack for ropes and knots. _He_ would have been able to get out of this mess, she was sure of it.

Katara kicked her feet against the ground in frustration. She didn't have time for this. She needed to get out of the cave and find some help.

Taking a deep breath, she rolled over onto her stomach and slowly, painfully, began inching her way toward the exit.

* * *

Zuko's swords were drawn in an instant and he quickly brought them around, crossing them to catch the descending blade a hair's breadth before it would have cleaved his skull in two. The rain bounced nervously on the shaft of steel less than an inch from Zuko's nose before he whirled the blade down and away, sloshing backward a few steps to prepare for the next attack. 

Jet wasted no time in advancing once again, swinging his hook-swords in a vicious and deadly tempest that kept Zuko on the defensive, and forcing him to retreat, one step at a time, until he was backed up against a tree. He barely had time to duck and move aside before one of the wicked hooks lodged itself in the bark right where Zuko's neck had been.

To his horror, the prince realized that this was nothing like the ploy to get him to fire bend and expose himself for an arrest. Jet was intent on killing him and Zuko feared that there might be only one way to end the fight. The thought filled him with dread and remorse.

"You can let loose with some fire any time now," Jet taunted hatefully, as he yanked his weapon free and spun to face Zuko again. "No one's watching this time."

He launched yet another brutal attack, the steel ringing and clanging as Zuko blocked and parried every strike.

"What's the matter," the misguided teen sneered, as he took a moment to regain his footing, "is the rain dampening your spark?"

"Maybe I just don't want to _kill_ you," Zuko returned angrily, his mind reeling as he tried to think of some way to disable Jet without doing any lasting harm.

"Yeah?" asked Jet with mock consideration. "Well the feeling isn't mutual," he spat nastily, and he rushed at Zuko again.

* * *

Aang wasn't about to wait for his opponents to make the first move, they needed to get to Appa and get out of there. Noticing the crumbling section of roof just above Azula and her cronies, he slammed a powerful fist into the wall behind him with a yell, setting some of the rubble lose to crash down on his enemies. 

It almost worked. But the three girls were quick enough to keep from getting buried and the cave-in only afforded Iroh and Aang a brief enough distraction to head for the opening in the wall. As Iroh darted through the rift, Aang started slamming the large bricks lining the hole toward Azula, trying to buy them more time to get away.

Iroh was halfway across the courtyard when Ty Lee popped up in front of him. Her arm streaked forward, aiming for one of the fire bender's pressure points, but he deftly caught her hand in his own, pulling her forward before swinging her around. She yelped as she was lifted off her feet and hurled headlong toward the exterior wall of the building and she landed with a tumbling roll right near Aang. The Avatar took the opportunity to encase her lower legs in stone before she could get back to her feet.

This left him momentarily vulnerable to another strike from Azula, who was circling her arms in the dreaded formation of lighting. Just as the bolt was about to fly, a small metal object came whizzing through the fissure in the wall, clanging into her wrist guard and knocking her aim off to one side. The lighting blasted the remainder of the wall and the rest of the ceiling crashed down around her.

The boomerang sailed back to its owner and Aang heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of his friend. His joy was short-lived, however, when he noticed the others were not with him. But there was no time for questions, and both boys hurried to help Iroh who was losing ground against the hailstorm of steel Mai was throwing his way.

Sokka made straight for Appa while Aang gathered up the standing rainwater from the cobblestones, bending it into a powerful wave that crashed over the deadly knife-wielder and washed her across the courtyard next to Ty Lee. With a powerful, icy breath, Aang froze the liquid around her and pinned her to the ground.

Without a moment to lose, Aang sent a gust of air at Iroh, tossing the man up with a surprised yell into Appa's saddle. Sokka had already vaulted up onto the bison's head and taken hold of the reins and Aang was still leaping toward Appa when the warrior let out a frantic 'yip yip!', getting them airborne just as the Avatar landed in the saddle next to his teacher.

As the ruined temple fell away from their sight, the mound of tile and stone within it rumbled ominously for a moment before exploding in every direction as Azula burst forth from the rubble in a glorious but terrible eruption of blue flame. Rain hissed and steamed on the smoldering rock as she hurried past the debris and out into the empty courtyard.

She sprung onto the saddle of her waiting mongoose-dragon. With a disgusted glare at her defeated comrades, who were still incased in ice and stone, she spurred the beast forward to pursue her prey, leaving them behind.

Ty Lee glanced at Mai uncertainly as Azula rode away. "She's going to come back for us soon…right?"

Mai only shot her friend a nasty scowl as a reply before looking away with a worried frown. The honest truth was that she wasn't so sure Azula would return at all.

* * *

Katara squirmed across the ground, inch by painstaking inch, her feet often slipping in the wet underbrush as she pushed her body forward through the forest. She had no idea how far she had gotten from the cave, her eyes too busy scanning the area ahead to find a rock, a stone, a sharp branch; anything she could use to cut the ropes on her wrists while she wriggled ever forward. 

Cresting a small rise along the forest floor, she pushed herself around so she could roll down the shallow incline, making more progress in that brief tumble than she had since she started her tedious trek. Twigs and bushes snapped and crashed as she tumbled painfully down the hill, finally coming to rest with a thump against a massive tree trunk. She let out a sore groan, her body aching from the arduous journey.

As she lay there catching her breath and waiting for some of the throbbing in her arms to subside, the faint clang of steel ringing on steel reached her ears. With renewed vigor, she began pushing herself toward the sound.

* * *

Zuko was getting tired of being on the defensive and was growing weary of this entire absurd conflict. Time and again, he tried to reason with Jet, all to no avail. As the fight dragged on, both boys were beginning to show signs of fatigue, but still they pressed on. 

At last, the prince decided to end the fight, and seeing an opportunity, he unleashed a fiery blast along length of his blade, hitting Jet square in the chest, the drenched armor sizzling with heat as the force of the blow knocked him to the ground.

Before the Freedom fighter could recover, Zuko drove his twin dao into the soggy earth, neatly pinning the prone boy's arms through the sleeves. The two glared at each other, their chests heaving as they took gasping breaths of air, the rain running in rivulets from their exhausted bodies.

"Go ahead and finish me off," challenged Jet acidly. "It'll be good practice for when you kill the Avatar."

"How many times do I have to tell you," growled Zuko in frustration, "I'm _not_ trying to kill Aang."

"Enough with the lies," hissed Jet. "I know all about your banishment, you know. You can't go home unless you capture him. Do you really expect me to believe that you'd give up the only chance you have of getting your life back?"

Zuko reached into his tunic and pulled out a damp piece of parchment, the warrant for his death.

"_This_ is my life, Jet!" he shouted furiously, holding the page in front of the boy so he could read it. "And there _is_ no going back."

As Jet read over the page in shock, Zuko added quietly with a painful hitch in his voice, "There never _was_."

Jet looked uncertainly from the paper to the prince, not wanting to believe what he was seeing and hearing. Zuko pulled the swords free from the mud and dropped them to one side in disgust before he tiredly joined them on the wet ground next to Jet.

"Believe it or not," the prince said bitterly, "not everyone in the Fire Nation agrees with the Fire Lord. The people of my country have been waging this war for a hundred years, marching off to their deaths at the orders of men who care nothing for their lives or the welfare of their families."

"But you're the Fire Lord's son," Jet reasoned doubtfully as he sat up, "why didn't you try to do something to stop it?"

"I _did_ try," Zuko insisted painfully, "and I got this for my trouble," he added softly, pointing the scar that marred his face. "Afterward, I was banished, and told not to return unless I captured the Avatar.

"It took me a long time to realize that I was never meant to succeed. Never meant to return home," he finished sadly.

"So you joined the Avatar instead?" asked Jet cautiously.

"This may be the only chance I have of setting things right; of even going home alive and taking back what's mine," Zuko answered calmly. Then looking Jet in the eye, he added earnestly, "I'm not about to give that up."

Understanding and acknowledgment dawned slowly on Jet's face, and he nodded thoughtfully. But before he could voice his acceptance of Zuko's story, a slow, sarcastic applause rang out from behind a tree across the way, and Azula stepped out from the shadows, her voice cold and deadly.

"Spoken like a true traitor."

* * *


	8. Ch 8 Dynasty

Still inching her way through the sodden forest toward the sounds of battle, Katara's heart nearly stopped in alarm when the ring of steel suddenly died away…and did not resume. But as she drew closer, she could swear there were voices muffled in the rain. Renewed by the possibility that they were both still alive, she kicked her legs even harder against the slippery ground, pushing herself closer toward that promising sound.

But then the chillingly familiar voice reached her ears through the downpour, and she froze.

* * *

Zuko was the first to his feet, stepping in front of Jet with his hands poised for an attack. This detail didn't escape Jet's notice, and he quickly moved forward, hook-swords drawn, to stand next to the prince. 

"You again," said Jet with wary surprise, looking at Azula. Zuko glanced over at the other boy then back to his sister, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"I thought you said you were looking for your brother," the Freedom Fighter continued suspiciously. "So why have you been following me?"

"Because I knew you'd lead me right to him."

"Wait…you mean, you're…" Jet glanced back and forth between the two, suddenly grasping what she was saying. "_He's_ your _brother_?"

"Yes," she purred, "And thanks to you, I've found him…and the Avatar."

"Jet, what have you done?" breathed Zuko in dismay, snapping a horrified look at Jet. But the other boy appeared every bit as stricken by this news as the prince.

"I…I didn't," stammered Jet before declaring earnestly, "I didn't know who she was."

This was easy enough to believe considering the rather mundane, Earth Kingdom trappings Azula was wearing.

"Of course you didn't," she said matter-of-factly. "Why should I tell you anything when you were so eager to volunteer your plans to rid the world of my worthless relatives," she explained with a condescending smirk at Zuko. His only response was to grit his teeth and glare at her.

"And since you've been so helpful," she continued pleasantly to Jet, "I'll even let you collect the reward on Zuko's head. It's quite a fortune."

"Not interested," Jet growled as he brandished his weapons.

"Get out of here, Jet," commanded Zuko in a low voice.

"I don't take orders from you," Jet replied evenly.

"Your choice," shrugged Azula, seeming to grow bored with the conversation, "I guess I'll just have to claim the bounties on both of you."

Without further warning, she launched a wave of undulating blue flame directly at Jet. Instinctively, he threw his hands up in front of his face, but he knew it was a useless gesture against the inferno racing toward him. He squeezed his eyes shut and braced himself for what he knew would be his last moment.

But the flames sizzled harmlessly to the rain soaked ground on either side of him. Amazed that he was still alive, Jet dropped his arms to see Zuko standing in front of him, bending the last of the blaze away before striking back with his own furious assault.

Up until that moment, Jet had still been undecided about how far he could trust Zuko. But those lingering doubts were immediately eradicated when he faced the reality that he'd be dead if not for the prince's intervention. Now, however, he had another problem; he was no match for this girl.

Azula was like no other fire bender Jet had ever seen, and as he watched the siblings battle, it became abundantly clear that Zuko didn't stand much of a chance against her either. Her blue flames were precise and deadly, and it was all the prince could do to block and deflect the vicious onslaught of his sister. Jet realized then that if either of them were to survive there was only one thing he could do.

With a passionate yell, he joined the fray.

* * *

Appa raced over the forest with his passengers, a drowsy Momo only just now poking his head out of one of the saddlebags. The lemur had slept through the entire fight. He chirruped inquisitively, however, when he noticed there were people missing. 

"So where are the others?" asked Iroh, now that they were no longer in immediate danger.

"Zuko said they'd meet us on the other side of the village," Sokka replied worriedly.

From the rear of the saddle where he was staring out over the swiftly passing landscape, Aang let out a startled gasp.

"We have to go back!" he shouted.

"Why? What's wro-"

Sokka's voice died in his throat when he turned to look behind him and spotted the copse of trees burning despite the pouring rain. And when a particularly large, brilliantly blue burst of fire broke the tree line, his heart sank.

"Oh no…"

Without a second thought, he tugged on the reigns and steered Appa back toward the blaze.

* * *

A fiery blast from Azula halted Jet's advance, and he only narrowly avoided being burnt to a crisp. In the same movement, the princess unleashed another attack on her brother, keeping both boys at bay. It didn't help that they had exhausted themselves earlier fighting each other, and they were hard pressed to gain any advantage over the ruthless princess. 

Several of the surrounding trees were now burning, sizzling and sputtering in the drenching rain. In the undergrowth nearby, Katara shrieked in terror as a bush just off to her left exploded in a vivid flash of blue. The force of the blast flung her several feet, and when she landed, she could now see the desperate battle being fought in the small clearing a few yards away.

Zuko's strength was flagging as he continued his attempts to dodge and deflect his sister. His clothes were scorched in several places, exposing the burned skin on his arms and legs. Frustrated and furious at his inability to get the better of her, he unleashed a powerful blast at Azula, but a wall of blue flame was already bearing down on him, and when the two attacks collided in a massive detonation of flames, he was thrown backward to land with a thud near his discarded swords.

A twisted and triumphant smirk pulled at Azula's lips as she seized her opportunity to strike her brother down for good. Jet stared in awe at the energy crackling and dancing on her fingertips as her arms circled, one after the other. He had no idea what sort of attack this might be, but he wasn't going to let her complete it.

In two long strides, he stood before her, and he latched onto her wrist with a hook-sword, pulling her aim away from the fallen prince just as the bolt of lightning blasted from her fingers. It raced along the metal shaft with deadly speed, engulfing him in a blinding discharge of pure white.

Zuko heard Katara scream from somewhere nearby at the same moment that Jet howled in agony. Time slowed to the counting of heartbeats as Zuko turned his head toward Jet, staring in horror while he watched the boy crumple to the ground at Azula's feet, a residual flicker of lightning still snaking over his body.

With a roar of fury and despair, Zuko snatched up his swords in a whirlwind of intense flames, flinging the fire at his sister with every anguished swing as he charged toward her. Still recovering from the unexpected result of her attack, Azula barely had time to deflect her brother's enraged assault.

Arms working frantically to redirect the oncoming flames, Azula took first one, then another step back, her eyes widening at Zuko's unprecedented display of ferocity and bending prowess. As he closed the distance between them, she lost her footing on the wet ground as a blazing sword swiped through the air where her face had just been.

The very tip of a searing hot blade slashed across her cheek, cutting and cauterizing her flesh in a single stroke, even as she unleashed a massive blast of flame that struck Zuko square in the chest, hurling him backward across the glade before crashing to the ground. Her other hand flew to cover the painful red welt etched into her skin, and she stared at her brother in a mixture of shock and rage.

But before she had time to exact her revenge for this unforgivable insult, a powerful gust of wind sent her sailing through the trees with a surprised yell. She smashed against the trunk of a large oak and slid to the forest floor with a groan as Appa landed in the clearing from which she had just been ejected.

Sokka slid down from the bison's head, sparing a heart-stricken glance at the figure lying on the ground before spotting his sister thrashing vainly against her bonds, and hurrying over to help her. After helping Zuko to his feet, Aang looked about for any sign of a renewed attack from Azula, but the princess had apparently fled the scene; both she and her mongoose-dragon were gone. Assured the area was clear, the two boys cautiously approached Iroh, who was kneeling beside Jet.

"Is he...?" Aang whispered as he drew near, but Zuko already knew the answer even before Iroh shook his head sadly.

By now, Sokka had freed Katara from her binds, and she staggered to her feet, rushing off with the intention of healing Jet. Sokka made a grab for her in a frantic attempt to prevent her from seeing the boy's scorched and broken body.

"Katara, NO!" he shouted, jumping to his feet. But he slipped to his knees on the wet leaves before he could restrain her.

"Don't let her see this!" Iroh commanded urgently to Aang, but the Avatar stood frozen in shock, unable to pull his anguished gaze away from his fallen friend.

Zuko turned and intercepted her instead, holding her by the wrists as she thrashed and pulled to get away.

"Let me go!" she shouted angrily, still trying to wrench herself from his grasp, and attempting to look past him to where Iroh and Aang blocked her view of Jet.

But the prince only spun her around so her back faced the ghastly scene, and he tightened his grip, shaking her roughly to get her attention when she tried to glance back over her shoulder.

"There's nothing you can do!" he insisted painfully. Then with a shudder of grief he added, "He's gone."

Her eyes filled with tears as she stared up at Zuko, shaking her head slightly in disbelief and denial.

"I'm sorry," he choked out softly.

A quick glance at her brother watching anxiously nearby confirmed the awful truth and her shoulders trembled as she let out a strangled sob, her head falling against Zuko's chest in desolate defeat.

At last, he relinquished his hold on her hands, helplessly wrapping his arms around her shaking form as she wept into his tunic, and his eyes fixed numbly on the body of the boy whom he wished had never been his enemy.

The rest of the group bowed their heads silently in the rain, letting the sky shed the tears that some of them could not.

* * *

By the time the group reached the coast that evening, the storms had passed, and glittering stars twinkled overhead in merry contrast to the somber and exhausted group of travelers. Toph had recovered from the sleeping draught and after being caught up on the day's events had fallen into a natural sleep, with the others following shortly thereafter. 

Only Zuko was awake, sitting just outside the camp on the edge of the hill, overlooking the port city where a ship waited to take them around the Fire Nation blockade. In his hands, he held the Blue Spirit mask, but his eyes were settled on the vast ocean shimmering in the moonlight.

A short distance away, Aang awoke with a gasp, breathing heavily as the last vestiges of his nightmare subsided. Looking around, he saw Zuko glance back at him indifferently for a moment before returning his gaze out to the horizon. Assured that the others had not been disturbed by his outburst, the Avatar quietly got up and joined the prince.

"Didn't think I'd ever see that again," remarked Aang, pointing at the mask.

Zuko didn't say anything, but instead offered up the mask so Aang could take it, watching as the younger boy turned it over a couple of times in his hands.

"You never told them, did you?" asked the prince.

Aang shook his head slowly, thoughtfully running a thumb along the edge before handing it back. "No."

"Why not?"

"Are you kidding?" replied Aang incredulously. "If Sokka and Katara ever found out that Zhao had actually _captured me,_ I'd never so much as be able to use the _bathroom_ again without supervision!"

"You're probably right," admitted Zuko, grinning slightly in spite of himself.

"Probably?" repeated Aang giving the other boy pointed look, "Zuko, this is Sokka and _Katara_ we're talking about."

"Good point," admitted the prince. He knew better than almost anyone else did how zealously overprotective the water bender could be when it came to Aang.

A timid silence fell between them, and they said nothing for a while, preferring to stare out at the water.

"Jet was trying to protect you," Zuko finally said softly, keeping his eyes focused on the horizon, "Protecting you from me. He was convinced I'm only leading you through the Fire Nation so that I can turn you over to my father."

Aang stared uncertainly at the prince as he absorbed this. It made him uneasy to hear Zuko mention such a possibility so candidly and, remembering what the prince had once said about his motivations for 'rescuing' him from Zhao, Aang voiced his concern before he could stop himself.

"Are you?"

"Of course not!" retorted Zuko, looking steadfastly at Aang with a frown that showed he was genuinely wounded that the boy would consider such a thing.

Aang hung head, positively ashamed of his impulsive doubt, but before he could open his mouth to apologize, Zuko interrupted.

"But I'm not sure I'm doing any of this for the right reason," he confessed miserably, staring contemplatively at the mask. "I've done the 'right' thing for the wrong reason before. Maybe this isn't any different." Seeing Aang's confused expression, Zuko added soberly, "You've been my only way home since the day I was banished. Despite the circumstances, that hasn't changed."

"Maybe not," agreed the Avatar honestly, "but _you_ have, and that makes all the difference in the world."

"But what if it's not enough?" asked Zuko almost rhetorically, "What if people like Jet are the only legacy left after this war; people full of mistrust and vengeance? How can any of that change after a century of fighting?"

"It will change because someone will show them a better way," answered Aang with calm conviction.

"So they can end up like Jet?" Zuko snapped bitterly, not daring to look Aang in the eye.

But the Avatar didn't miss the painful regret on Zuko's face, and it took Aang a moment to piece together what must have happened earlier that day before he and the others had arrived.

"Jet died saving you, didn't he?"

The prince merely closed his eyes and nodded, his jaw clenched tightly as he fought to keep his emotions of guilt and remorse in check.

"Zuko, you can't blame yourself for that," Aang stated firmly. "And the fact that Jet, who hated fire benders more than any person I've ever met, thought your life was worth saving only proves that you're doing the right thing…and for the right reason."

Seeing the doubtful look Zuko gave him, Aang continued quietly.

"The monks at the Air Temple used to teach us that, if a person died with hatred in their hearts, their souls would never know peace. Because of you, I don't think Jet will have that problem now."

"I hope you're right," Zuko whispered.

Aang only smiled; a serene and ageless smile that only an Avatar could possess, as he shifted his gaze back out at the ocean and took a deep breath.

"I know I am."

With nothing left to say, the two boys stared at the moonlight dancing on the sea where their destinies waited on the other side.

* * *

**Author's note:** Well, that depressing chapter was a lot harder to write (and much longer!) than I expected. I finally gave up trying to keep it at the 2000-2200 word count like my other chapters. There was too much that HAD to be in there to form the foundation for upcoming events (i.e. foreshadowing). 

And before anyone wonders: Jet's death has been planned since I first brought him into my series during 'The Trial'. This is primarily because I wasn't very happy about his demise in the canon series. He never really had a chance to move past his hatred for the Fire Nation on his own; it was brainwashed out of him, and then came rushing back only moments before he died. I guess I just wanted a more solid redemption for his character.

I only hope I didn't shock or upset anyone too much. My apologies if I did.

And now, I begin to move on to completely uncharted territory as I take the gang into the Fire Nation. It's been a long time coming, and certainly longer than I am sure the show's creators will take, but I'll do my best to make it worth the wait.

So stay tuned for _"Fire Chapter 9: The Shallows"_.

* * *


End file.
